In Skopje, I am hearing more and more often concerns that relations with Bulgaria are being used as a convenient excuse for the lack of will or ability to undertake the necessary reforms. I do not want to believe this argument, said Bulgaria’s Ambassador to North Macedonia, Zhelyazko Radukov.

In an interview for the bilingual website koha.mk, the ambassador said: “The deadlines for overcoming the obstacles depend entirely on you. With great hope, I will allow myself to quote the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen: ‘The ball is in your court.’”

In the interview, Ambassador Radukov emphasized that the new EES system for registering third-country nationals when entering the EU will delay North Macedonia’s citizens at border checkpoints by 2 to 3 minutes. The diplomat also assured that, staring January 1, the money of all citizens of North Macedonia in Bulgarian banks will be automatically and free of charge converted into euros, at a fixed exchange rate of 1.95583 leva per 1 euro, reports the portal tribuna.mk. 

Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov

Photo: BGNES